Contextualising the Roma debate in the European Union

The Roma and Travellers debate in the European Union needs to be contextualised

01/09/2010

Currently, there is much debate about the position of the Roma, both living in their country of origin or in another EU Member State. The Fundamental Rights Agency is mandated to provide evidence-based advice to decision-makers in the EU. The Agency's evidence aims at informing EU and national policy-makers and contextualising debates on fundamental rights in the European Union.

The Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) has worked with the Roma and conducted research about the situation of the Roma in the EU for many years. The Roma face the highest levels of discrimination of all ethnic minority groups in the EU, in access to housing, education, employment, and health care. This has serious consequences; discrimination in access to education, for example, has a knock-on effect on job opportunities for the Roma. This unemployment, together with poverty, racism and violence, causes Roma to leave their countries of origin. However, the Roma also experience discrimination and violence in their new countries of residence. This needs to be addressed, building on the many existing good practices highlighted in the FRA's reports.

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The Fundamental Rights Position of Roma and Travellers in the European Union